Effective Date: January 11, 2006
(71 F.R. 1835)
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION NOTICE OF SYSTEM OF RECORDS REQUIRED BY
THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974
SYSTEM NUMBER: 60-0199
System name:
Extramural
Surveys (Statistics), Social Security Administration, Deputy Commissioner for
Disability and Income Security Programs.
Security classification:
None.
System Location:
Social Security Administration
Office of Research, Evaluation and
Statistics
Contractor
sites:
Addresses may be obtained by writing to the
system manager.
Categories of individuals covered by the system:
Samples
of individuals who are current or potential recipients of benefits from Social
Security and related programs; personnel administering Social Security and
related programs.
Categories of records in the system:
Socioeconomic,
demographic, medical and disability characteristics; attitudes concerning
subjects such as health, work experience, and family relationships; earnings
and employment history, benefits, use of medical and rehabilitative services.
Authority for maintenance of the system:
Sections 1110
and 1115 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1310 and 1315).
Purpose(s):
The purpose of
this system is to obtain information for research and statistical studies of
individuals who are current or potential recipients of benefits from Social
Security and related programs. When the product is in the form of micro data it
is available without personal identifiers to other Social Security
Administration (SSA) components for data processing and data manipulation, with
appropriate safeguards.
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories
of users and the purposes of such uses:
Disclosure may
be made for routine uses as indicated below. However, disclosure of any
information defined as ``return or return information'' under 26 U.S.C. 6103 of
the Internal Revenue Code will not be disclosed unless authorized by a statute,
the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS), or IRS regulations.
1. To a congressional office in response to
an inquiry from that office made at the request of the subject of the record.
2. To a contractor under contract to the
Social Security Administration (SSA), or under contract to another agency with
funds provided by SSA, for the performance of research and statistical
activities directly related to this system of records.
3. To the General Services Administration
and the National Archives Records Administration (NARA) under 44 U.S.C. 2904
and 2906, as amended by the NARA Act of 1984, information which is not
restricted from disclosure by Federal law for the use of those agencies in
conducting records management studies.
4. We
may disclose information to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies,
entities, and persons when (1) we suspect or confirm that the security or
confidentiality of information in this system of records has been compromised;
(2) we determine that as a result of the suspected or confirmed compromise
there is a risk of harm to economic or property interests, identity theft or
fraud, or harm to the security or integrity of this system or other systems or
programs of SSA that rely upon the compromised information; and (3) we determine
that disclosing the information to such agencies, entities, and persons is
necessary to assist in our efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed
compromise and prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm. SSA will use this
routine use to respond only to those incidents involving an unintentional
release of its records.
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining
and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
Data may be
stored in paper form (e.g., computer printouts) and in magnetic media (e.g.,
magnetic tape and disc).
Retrievability:
Files based on
SSA sample populations are indexed by SSA-assigned case numbers or Social
Security numbers (SSN). Files based on contractor sample populations are
indexed by contractor-assigned case numbers which may be cross-referred to SSNs. These files are retrieved by SSN or assigned case
numbers.
Safeguards:
Safeguards are
established in accordance with the Systems Security Handbook. Employees having
access to records have been notified of criminal sanctions for unauthorized
disclosure of information about individuals.
Magnetic tapes or other files with personal
identifiers are retained in secured storage areas accessible only to authorized
personnel.
Microdata files
prepared for purposes of research and analysis are purged of personal
identifiers and are subject to procedural safeguards to assure anonymity.
Access http://www.socialsecurity.gov/foia/bluebook/app_g.htm for additional
information relating to SSA data security measures.
Retention and disposal:
Hard copy
questionnaires will be destroyed when survey reports are completed. Records
with identifiers will be held in secure storage areas and will be retained only
as long as needed for analysis. Identifiers
will be removed at the earliest possible time after data collection is
completed. The need to retain identifiers will be evaluated at the time each
survey is completed. Records with identifiers will be disposed of as soon as
they are determined to be no longer needed. Means of disposal will be
appropriate to the record storage medium; e.g., erasure of tapes, shredding of
printouts, etc.
In longitudinal studies, working files are
stripped of identifiers and given randomly assigned case numbers. A separate
link file will be maintained in secure storage for updating with individual
identifiers. As long as identifiable
records exist, a periodic review will be made at least every 2 years to
determine the need for their retention.
System manager(s) and address:
Social Security Administration
Associate
Commissioner
Office of Program Development and
Research
Notification procedure:
This system
contains limited data selected for statistical analysis. Individuals inquiring
about their records in SSA programs may wish to consult other SSA systems of
records which contain more detailed information.
An individual can determine if this system
contains a record about him/her by writing to the system manager(s) at the
above address and providing his/her name, SSN or other information that may be
in the system of records that will identify him/her. An individual requesting
notification of records in person should provide the same information, as well
as provide an identity document, preferably with a photograph, such as a
driver's license or some other means of identification. If an individual does
not have any identification documents sufficient to establish his/her identity,
the individual must certify in writing that he/she is the person claimed to be
and that he/she understands that the knowing and willful request for, or
acquisition of, a record pertaining to another individual under false pretenses
is a criminal offense.
If notification is requested by telephone,
an individual must verify his/her identity by providing identifying information
that parallels information in the record to which notification is being
requested. If it is determined that the identifying
information provided by telephone is insufficient, the individual will be
required to submit a request in writing or in person. If an individual
is requesting information by telephone on behalf of another individual, the
subject individual must be connected with SSA and the requesting individual in
the same phone call. SSA will establish the subject individual's identity
(his/her name, SSN, address, date of birth and place of birth, along with one
other piece of information, such as mother's maiden name) and ask for his/her
consent in providing information to the requesting individual.
If a request for notification is submitted
by mail, an individual must include a notarized statement to SSA to verify
his/her identity or must certify in the request that he/she is the person
claimed to be and that he/she understands that the knowing and willful request
for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to another individual under false
pretenses is a criminal offense. These procedures are in accordance with SSA
Regulations (20 CFR 401.40(c)).
Record access procedures:
Same
as Notification procedures. Requesters should also reasonably specify
the record contents being sought. These procedures are in accordance with SSA
Regulations (20 CFR 401.40(c)).
Contesting record procedures:
Same
as Notification procedures. Requesters should also reasonably identify
the record, specify the information they are contesting and the corrective
action sought, and the reasons for the correction, with supporting
justification showing how the record is incomplete, untimely, inaccurate or
irrelevant. These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR
401.65(a)).
Record source categories:
Survey data
obtained by the contractor; SSA administrative records; medical data compiled
by extramural research under contracts or grants.
Systems exempted from certain provisions of the Privacy Act:
None.